Ancient Roman Architecture and Engineering

Roman Entertainment Structures

Amphitheaters

Battles between gladiators and animals were held, as were naumachiae (simulated naval battles). They had an elliptical plan. In the center stood the arena, covered in sand, where the pit was located. The amphitheater in Pompeii is the most ancient. Other examples include those in Tarragona, Mérida, and Italica in Spain, and those in Arles and Nîmes in France. In Rome, the Flavian Amphitheater, known as the "Colosseum," is the most famous.

Circuses

Buildings for chariot races. They had a long and narrow plan, with the spina (central barrier) in the middle. The cavea (seating area) was theater-like, surrounding the arena. The most important was the Circus Maximus in Rome, built during the time of Caesar. In Spain, notable circuses are found in Mérida and Tarragona.

Roman Domestic Architecture

Distinguished between the domus (single-family house) and the villa (country house). Domus were low-rise buildings that resembled the Etruscan house. They were characterized by the atrium, an open-roofed space with an impluvium (a basin) surrounded by columns that collected rainwater from the roof. Rooms surrounding the atrium included the cubiculum (bedroom) and triclinium (dining room). Rooms facing the street were often used as shops or workshops, known as tabernae. At the entrance of the house was the tablinum (office or study). Later additions included a garden (hortus) surrounded by a colonnade (peristyle). Houses were often grouped into multi-story apartment buildings called insulae.

Roman Funerary Architecture

Large burial sites were numerous. While cremation was common, inhumation also occurred, leading to monumental tombs. Graves were often erected along the approaches to populated areas. The Romans assimilated burial forms from conquered countries, resulting in structures like pyramids, square towers such as the "Torre de los Escipiones" (Tower of the Scipios), and temple-shaped tombs like the one in Sádaba (Zaragoza). Larger tombs followed the Etruscan tradition, such as the tomb of "Cecilia Metella" (Rome), with its cylindrical stone tower form. Endowed with greater grandeur, this form was used in imperial mausoleums, notably Hadrian's Mausoleum, which later became the Castel Sant'Angelo.

Roman Memorial Structures

Key memorial structures were the arch and the column. Arches could be triumphal (often erected only in Rome) or purely memorial. They could have one, two, three, or even four arches (a quadrifrons arch). Well-known examples in Rome include the Arches of Titus, Constantine, and Septimius Severus. In Spain, examples include the Arch of Bara (one arch), the Arch of Medinaceli (three arches), and the Quadrifrons of Caparra.

The memorial column was used to commemorate Roman exploits. Types include:

• Rostral Column: The shaft was decorated with rostra or prows of ships, commemorating naval victories.
• Storied Column: The trunk was covered with reliefs that developed helically up the shaft, depicting historical narratives. Famous examples are the Columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius in Rome.

Roman Public Works and Engineering

The Romans created an extensive network of roads or highways (e.g., the Via Augusta joining Cadiz with Rome, the Via de la Plata joining Astorga and Mérida). They built numerous bridges. Aqueducts were particularly significant, using gradients to bring water to cities via a specus or channel at the top. Famous aqueducts include the Aqueduct of Segovia, the Miracles Aqueduct in Mérida, Les Ferreres Aqueduct in Tarragona, and the Pont du Gard near Nîmes, France. Other notable public works include reservoirs or dams like the Dam of Proserpina in Mérida, commercial ports (e.g., Ampurias), lighthouses (e.g., the Tower of Hercules), and defensive walls (e.g., the walls of Tarragona and Lugo).